Max Verstappen: It’s always important to be yourself

In an interview with De Telegraaf on the eve of the Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen spoke about his mood and plans for the coming years..

Q: It seems that winning the third title is nothing more than a formality. However, you often criticize the current state of affairs in Formula 1…
Max Verstappen: Yes, because I’ve always loved our sport very much and I care about what happens in it. I still like it, but to an extent. This does not mean that I am completely against change, because they sometimes write about me. But they have to go in favor of Formula 1.

Why change some things when everything is already going well? I think the traditional qualifying format can be considered ideal. It is wrong to change it just for money.

Question: But Formula 1 is also a business, and this has made you a very rich person…
Max Verstappen: Yes, but in the end that’s not the point. People might think: This guy makes so much money – why would he complain? But here it’s about how comfortable you work, not how much you earn. Sometimes it feels like I have too many things to do. So I sometimes wonder: is it all worth it?

Q: Your contract with Red Bull Racing runs until the end of 2028 and you have already said that you can retire after that. But what if the new Red Bull engine due in 2026 isn’t as good as the team hopes and starts to lose ground? Is there any possibility that you can leave the team early?
Max Verstappen: I believe that this event is developing according to a very bad and dramatic scenario. I don’t expect the team to reverse that much, because they have very good specialists.

In this sport, it can never be ruled out that things are not going well for the team, and in such situations it is important to understand what exactly is happening and the ways to overcome the difficulties that have arisen. But I can’t imagine having to fight for positions in the middle of the pack for the next three years. Then it is better to stay at home and do something else. But I repeat: I do not assume that everything will be exactly like this.

Q: Have you thought about leaving Red Bull in previous years?
Max Verstappen: I thought differently: will I stay in this team? But in the end we always agreed. A lot happened to the team over time: remember they changed engine suppliers because before that we had Renault engines and now Honda. But now work is underway to create our own power plants, so there is always a new goal to strive for. That is why it has been decided to extend my contract.

Q: You and Red Bull are a match. Could you even work in a more “corporate” environment like Mercedes?
Max Verstappen: It really is a completely different environment. It’s always important to be yourself and keep saying what you think. Then I don’t care where I have to perform. If a team in a similar situation wants to take me out, they will also have to make some concessions and correct certain things a bit.

But of course we’re not talking about that right now. Before, I could not have imagined that I would achieve such success. I just dreamed of Formula 1 and that one day I could drive for a top team. This is what I’ve always worked for. There are those who resent that the championship has become boring. But I know there is another side to this coin. Personally, Formula 1 does not seem boring to me at all.

Question: It seems that you have always had complete confidence in yourself and your own abilities. And so it was in those years when Lewis Hamilton dominated the championship…
Max Verstappen: The rider should always think this way. Otherwise you will never succeed. Even if you’re not the best, you should always give that impression. Personally, I will never admit that there is anyone better than me in the paddock.

Q: And you never doubted yourself?
Max Verstappen: I never wondered: am I as good as I think? Sometimes things don’t go as they should, and there are unfortunate times when you need to put in a little more effort.

This is exactly what happened at the start of the 2018 season. I remember well that after the Monaco Grand Prix I had to rebuild from scratch. I then thought I had to start all over again. And the next race, the Canadian Grand Prix, went well. Stupid questions about my driving style and my form really pissed me off. And I answered them.